


Neighbours

by Vai_should_be_quiet



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 17:30:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12304089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vai_should_be_quiet/pseuds/Vai_should_be_quiet
Summary: Damen realizes that his frigid neighbour isn't as cold as he seems.Based off of a tumblr post.





	Neighbours

"Are you ready for the kindergarten class coming in today?"

Nikandros's voice snapped Damen out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he said, giving Nikandros an apologetic look.

He sighed crossing his arms. "I was asking about the kindergarten class that's coming today," he repeated patiently.

Damen nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah, it should be fun."

Nikandros huffed. "I wonder who is the suicidal maniac who decided to bring a bunch of kids into a museum. And you share the insanity with that person - how can babysitting ever be fun, Damen?"

"Unlike you, Nik, kids like me. I'll have fun and so will they." Damen glared at Nikandros determinedly.

He just laughed, shaking his head. "I admire you, Damen. I'm sure you'll make it."

There was a pause. Damen really didn't like the look that Nikandros was giving him.

"What is it?" Damen asked suspiciously.

"You were pretty distant a moment ago. I'm just wondering what was on your mind."

Damen narrowed his eyes at Nikandros. "I wasn't thinking about anything special..."

"Were you thinking about your blond neighbor?"

Heat quickly rushed to Damen's face. "Why would I be–?"

"He did something again, didn't he? Come on, you can tell me," Nikandros said with a smile.

Damen sighed. He admired Nikandros's patience. Damen had been ranting about the frigid blond by the name of Laurent ever since he'd become Damen's next door neighbor a month ago.

Their worst encounter was when Laurent told Damen off for trying to bring a date to his apartment.

Nikandros claimed that Laurent was just jealous, but Damen believed that he was just displaying his inability to mind his own business.

Either way, Damen hadn't been able to shut up about Laurent ever since.

"He  _shoved_ me," Damen said, recalling that morning's event. "He glared at me, didn't even seem sorry. He just looked pissed as always." Damen huffed. Just thinking about the blond made him angry. "He's just so unpleasant all the time..."

Nikandros slapped Damen on the shoulder, chuckling. "I suggest you to get him out of your head and focus on your task. And don't forget to have fun," he said, adding a hint of sarcasm.

Damen nodded with a smile. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

But before he walked out into the lobby, he caught a glimpse of a blond head. Damen stopped in his track and stared.

"It's Laurent," he blurted out.

Nikandros frowned. He approached Damen and observed the scene over his shoulder.

"That's Laurent?" He asked.

"That's Laurent," Damen replied.

" _That's_ Laurent?"

" _That's Laurent_."

They both went silent.

"Well, he doesn't look like the Devil," said Nikandros.

"I suppose not," Damen muttered.

At the moment, Laurent really didn't look like the Devil at all. The weirdest thing was that Laurent was smiling. It took Damen completely by surprise and he felt the need to remember every detail of Laurent's curved lips, so that he could have that image in his head the next time Laurent throws him poisonous looks.

Laurent got all the children to line up in record time. They were being handed their tickets to keep.

Damen felt Nikandros poke him in his ribs. "You should go. Don't keep them waiting."

Damen shot him a glare before walking out. He greeted the children and then dared to glance at Laurent. He seemed to be experiencing the same shock that Damen was experiencing a few minutes ago.

Damen was glad that his own shock had passed and that he could be the chill one for once.

And so they started their tour. Damen talked about Hellenism and Greek mythology. He realized quickly that this wouldn't be exhausting at all, despite the amount of children in a small space.

They were all well-behaved, never interrupted him, except for questions after politely raising their hand. And still they subtly chatted and giggled.

Laurent seemed to be glowing. He had a small smile on his face the whole time. Damen felt odd about it, he hadn't seen Laurent smile before at all and now he was able to see it for a rather long period of time.

One boy stood out from the others and Damen soon learned that that was his goal. To stand out and attract attention.

His name was Nicaise. He seemed to be waging a war with Laurent, but the boy clearly had no means of outsmarting him.

Whenever Nicaise tried to do something stupid, he was cut off by Laurent asking him to repeat what Damen had just said.

And as much as Nicaise tried to look uninterested, he knew the answer every time.

Then the kids were given the task to draw their favourite myth. There was a bit more noise while they did it, but they made no problems, not even Nicaise.

Damen found himself standing next to Laurent. Neither of them spoke at first.

Then after taking a deep breath, Damen blurted out, "Well, who knew...?"

"Who knew that I wasn't a pretentious prick as you thought?" Laurent finished the sentence for Damen.

He must have noticed Damen's surprised expression because he just smiled bitterly and added, "Don't worry, I speak from personal experience."

Damen didn't want to deny that he thought that about Laurent. It would have been a lie, although Damen's opinion was slowly changing.

"You're great at this. The kids love you. You must really love your job," Damen said.

The small, sincere smile was back on Laurent's lips. "I do. This is something I am actually good at."

Damen didn't say anything. He found himself lost in Laurent's eyes.

Until Laurent met his gaze.

"I could say the same for you, though. Who knew that a playboy like you was in love with the art of Ancient Greece?"

Damen felt himself flush. "I'm not a playboy..." he muttered.

"Of course not," Laurent said cockily.

"I'm really nor," Damen said with a lot more confidence. "Let me show you."

Laurent arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Show me?"

"Let me take you out," Damen said.

For a moment Laurent seemed impressed, though he didn't let it last. "On a date?"

"Of course. What else."

Laurent pursed his lip. He did his best not to smile. "I'll think about it," he said coolly.

While the kids were getting ready to leave, Damen saw Nicaise approach Laurent.

He crouched and let Nicaise whisper something in his ear.

Then his pale cheeks went slightly red and he stood up. "Don't make me put you in time-out," he said to Nicaise.

But Nicaise didn't leave it at that. He left Laurent and walked over to Damen.

Nicaise handed him a piece of paper. 'Laurent's number," he said sharply.

Damen took the paper and stared at it, then at Nicaise. "Thank you..."

Then the boy tugged on Damen's shirt. Nicaise was too short to tug on Damen's collar, but he did his best to be intimidating.

" _But_ , you better be nice. If you hurt him, I'll kill you."

Damen just smiled at that. He ruffled Nicaise's hair, who wasn't very delighted by it. "Don't worry, I'll be nice," Damen assured.

Nicaise huffed and returned to the rest of the class.

Before leaving, Laurent glanced at Damen and waved.

For the first time since they met, Damen couldn't wait to see Laurent again.


End file.
